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Press Releases 2002

Broadband Telephone “BB Phone” is Entering A Commercial Service! BB Phone’s single use service is also opened

Apr. 19, 2002

SOFTBANK Group (Representative: Masayoshi Son), BB Technologies Corporation (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayoshi Son; hereunder BB Technologies), which provides infrastructure, infrastructure management, technology development and support to the broadband service Yahoo BB, and Yahoo Japan Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masahiro Inoue), which operates Japan’s largest Internet access site Yahoo! Japan, announce, the opening of the commercial service of “BB Phone”, the broadband telephone from 25 April 2002. “BB Phone” is a totally new and low-cost type of broadband telephone service that uses VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. SOFTBANK Group will market this service in a big way.

In entering the telephone service market, the following will commence from April 25th

  • (1) Start of “BB Phone” Commercial Service
  • (2) Offering of "BB Phone" single-use service
  • (3) “BB Phone” added as a standard service of Yahoo! BB
  • (4) A “BB Phone” monitoring trial campaign

Applications will be accepted at electronics shops, BB Phone affiliate shops, and on Yahoo! BB’s homepage (bb.yahoo.co.jp), etc.

(1) Start of “BB Phone” Commercial Service

“BB Phone” experimental services have been phased in since last December. Resulting commercial service will be based on the results of these experimental services. “BB Phone” users will enjoy considerably low charges: (1) domestic calls will be 7.5 yen per 3 minutes; (2) international calls to 231 countries will also be available at rates the lowest in Japan - e.g. calls to the U.S. at only 7.5 yen per 3 minutes; and (3) calls between BB Phone users will all be free. The original plan for an initial registration fee of 3,980 yen has been withdrawn.

(2) Offering of “BB Phone” single-use service

“BB Phone” single-use service will be started. Customers who do not use Yahoo! BB ADSL Internet service will also be able to use “BB Phone” telephone service. currently-used ADSL modems (monthly rental fee 550 yen) will no longer be delivered and from now, a new type of combo modem (monthly rental fee 690 yen*1) that functions both as an ADSL modem and as a “BB Phone” adapter will be delivered to new members. With this system, when a customer wishes to use Yahoo! BB ADSL service after he or she contracted for the “BB Phone” single-use service, it is very convenient and simple to add Yahoo! BB as optional service. The monthly minimum charge for “BB Phone” single-use service is 390 yen.

(3) “BB Phone” added as a standard service of Yahoo! BB

“BB Phone” is added as a standard service of Yahoo! BB. Customers of Yahoo! BB do not need to pay the 390 yen monthly minimum charge for “BB Phone” single-use service. Present members of Yahoo! BB will receive from BB Technologies free of charge a terminal adapter as an add-on kit for the currently-used ADSL modems allowing use of BB Phone.

(4) A “BB Phone” monitoring trial campaign

In tandem with the start of BB Phone commercial service, a “BB Phone monitoring trial campaign” will be implemented. BB Technologies will bear initial costs (800 of ADSL contract deposit for NTT and 2,800 yen of the NTT set-up fee) for the first three hundred thousand new applicants for BB Phone or Yahoo! BB.

Additionally, for a maximum of 2 months from the start of service*2, the 390 yen monthly minimum charge, the 690 yen combo modem rental fee and 173 yen of NTT telephone line (type 1) usage charges will be free for customers of BB Phone single-use service and the 2,280 yen monthly minimum charge, the 690 yen combo modem rental fee and { of NTT telephone line (type 1) usage charges will be free for customers of Yahoo! BB. Customers will only need to pay charges for calls during that period.

SOFTBANK Group promises to prepare an innovative infrastructure environment of broadband network through BB Phone and Yahoo! BB thus realizing more fruitful communication among people and contributing to a more rich and comfortable society.

Initial costs

DSL contract deposit for NTT 800 yen
NTT set up fee 2,800 yen
Total*3 3,600 yen

Monthly fixed charges*4

BB Phone single-use

monthly minimum charge 390 yen
combo modem rental fee 690 yen
Total*5 1,080 yen

Yahoo! BB and BB Phone

monthly minimum charg 2,280 yen
combo modem rental fee 690 yen
Total*5 2,970 yen

Current customer of Yahoo! BB who wishes to use BB Phone service

monthly minimum charge 2,280 yen
ADSL modem rental fee 550 yen
Total*5 2,830 yen

Charge for calls

Domestic*6 to customers with existing telephone line service 7.5 yen / 3 min.
between BB Phone members Free
USA (mainland)*7 7.5 yen / 3min. (2.5 yen / min.)
[Notes]
  • *1Purchase price of combo modem is 33,120 yen. Combo modem rental fee is the same regardless of the contract type; BB phone single-use or combination of Yahoo! BB and BB Phone.
  • *2This special privilege will be applied for the very month that the service is made available (the month that the charge is started) and the next month; namely 2 months at maximum.
  • *3There may be cases where additional costs for interior wiring will be charged.
  • *4The fees to be charged when a customer rents the modem etc.
  • *5173 yen of ADSL line monthly usage charges and the monthly minimum charge for NTT are not included.
  • *6Calls to triple-digit special numbers such as emergency numbers like 110 and 119, and calls to special service numbers like those beginning with 0120 or 0990 etc.are not covered by our service. For these calls charges should be paid to each service provider.
  • *7Calls to overseas are charged by the minute. Information on charges for calls to regions other than the USA is available at www.bbtec.net
  • *Please understand that our service has limits as to service regions and to the number of facilities. Instances may occur where the distance from the central telephone exchange, the environment in a customer’s residence, etc. will hinder the use of our service. Incidentally, ADSL type 2 customers cannot use BB Phone service.
  • *Stated prices are all net of tax.
  • *Releases, announcements, presentations and other information available from this page and elsewhere on this website were prepared based on information available and views held at the time of preparation and speak only as of the respective dates on which they are filed or used by SOFTBANK or the applicable group company, as the case may be. Such information is subject to change and may become out-of-date. Such information may also contain forward-looking statements which are by their nature subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Please read legal notices in its entirety prior to viewing any information available on this website.